Menards construction in Cape to start next month

Construction on Cape Girardeau's newest home improvement center will begin in mid-August, according to a company spokesman.

Menards, the nation's third-largest home improvement retailer, closed on the purchase of the 16-acre site at the southwest corner of Siemers Drive and Bloomfield Road from a Drury subsidiary last month. Drury crews are now completing site preparation work at the property, including dirt work, expansion of a retention pond and relocation of a water main, said Larry Westrich of Drury Southwest.

A contractor for the $8 million project hasn't yet been selected, said Thomas O'Neil of Menards' real estate division.

He said consideration would be given to local contractors and subcontractors.

"We do try to solicit local bids, but we don't always know precisely who might be qualified," he said.

Final design plans for the 162,340-square-foot retail store, garden center and lumber warehouse have been submitted to the city, but a building permit hasn't yet been issued.

O'Neil said Cape Girardeau's Menards store is expected to open in early spring. It will employ about 160 people, with about half of those being full-time employees, O'Neil said.

"This market had a lot of attraction for us because it was such a regional destination," O'Neil said.

The Cape Girardeau location is one of 10 Menards stores under construction this year and slated to open in 2012, he said.

"We're trying to find new markets. We have a lot of stores in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, Cape Girardeau is a good indication of where we're heading," he said.

This will be the southernmost location for the Wisconsin-based retailer, which has about 250 stores nationwide. The closest to Cape Girardeau is Marion, Ill.

Menards caries building materials, windows, carpet, lighting, paints, electrical supplies and appliances.

O'Neil said the stores have a large footprint, allowing them to carry a bigger variety of merchandise and the company's lumber yard is significantly larger than its competitors.

Drury retained ownership of two acres that adjoin the Menards site and also owns 20 acres across Bloomfield Road.

"We think Menards will just take that retail center [on Siemers Drive] and carry it southward," Westrich said. "Those tract lands will likely generate quite a bit of interest during the next year during the construction of Menards."

O'Neil said he is hopeful other businesses, particularly restaurants, will locate nearby.

"We would love to help drive traffic to that area for them," he said.

Menards is Cape Girardeau's first large retail development since 2005, when both Sears Grand and Kohls opened off Siemers Drive.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

Bloomfield Road and Siemers Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO